Fire, United Deadlocked Again 0-0

NAPERVILLE, IL Just 11 days after playing to the first 0-0 tie of the 2002 MLS regular season (July 20), D.C. United and the Chicago Fire finished in MLS' second scoreless deadlock of the campaign on a steamy Wednesday night at Cardinal Stadium. The result meant that United extended their winless streak to seven games and also moved to fourth in the all-time list of MLS' longest scoreless streaks: 431 minutes and counting, a span of five games.

United, still winless on the road this season (0-8-2), is a little over 200 minutes away from the all-time longest scoreless streak which belongs to the Kansas City Wizards, who went without a goal over 637 minutes between Sept. 5, 1998 and April 10, 1999.

For both teams it was their last match ahead of the All-Star break with the 2002 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game set for Saturday, Aug. 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET (live broadcast on ABC Sports). Both teams have now played 20 of a total of 28 regular season games as the Fire (8-8-4, 28pts) maintain second place in the Eastern Conference. United (6-11-3, 21pts), hope for better results in their last eight matches as they will begin the final stretch of the season seven points out of the eighth and final MLS Cup Playoff spot.

United started strong as Fire 'keeper Zach Thornton was forced to stop a Bobby Convey shot from 10 yards out. But the Fire slowly began working their way into the United defensive end and a first half which produced just three shots on goal saw two of them come in a matter of seconds. In the 20th minute Chicago took advantage of a slip-up by United midfielder Richie Williams. Fire midfielder Jesse Marsch capitalized by making a 40-yard run into the box, serving DaMarcus Beasley who took a shot on goal on which United goalkeeper Nick Rimando made a diving save.

Just moments later it was recent United signee Eliseo Quintanilla, active throughout the match, who sent a half-volley from the top of the box which struck the Fire crossbar 20th minute.

An evenly played first half ended with a 37th minute header from 12 yards out by defender Jim Curtin off an Ante Razov corner kick which Rimando grabbed.

United, who brought on forward Roy Lassiter at the break in place of Ali Curtis, pressured the Fire in the opening of the second half. In the 51st minute Lassiter fed Quintanilla on the edge of the offside trap and the Salvadoran forward blasted a shot from 20 yards out which was saved by Thornton. Five minutes later United defender Eddie Pope struck a first-time ball on a service into the Fire penalty area by Marco Etcheverry. But Pope's close-range deflection on the edge of the Chicago six-yard box finished wide left.

The second half was played at a lively pace with both teams exchanging scoring opportunities. In the 65th minute Dema Kovalenko sent a close-range shot over the bar after an enlightening through ball by C.J. Brown. Just three minutes later United brought on Ben Olsen for Quintanilla and just seconds after coming on he forced Thornton into a save.

Both 'keepers turned up big on several other occasions including an 82nd minute exchange which saw shots by United's Lazo Alavanja and Chicago's Hristo Stoitchkov snuffed out by the netminders.

While Rimando earned his fifth shutout of the season and his third against Chicago this season, Thornton increased his current shutout streak to 237 minutes while picking up his sixth clean sheet of 2002.

While United had Pope return from patella tendonitis, the Black-and-Red were still missing several starters: forwards Santino Quaranta (abdominal hernia) and Jaime Moreno (strained hamstring-L and groin-R), defender Milton Reyes (sprained MCL-R) and midfielder Petter Villegas (strained hamstring-R).

The Chicago Fire return to action on Saturday, August 10 with a match against long-time rivals Dallas Burn on the Soccer Saturday Game of the Week on ESPN2 (4:00 p.m. ET). United is also back in action on August 10 when they host the Kansas City Wizards (7:30 p.m. ET) at RFK Stadium.

Lineups:

D.C. UNITED-- Nick Rimando, Eddie Pope, Ryan Nelsen, Brandon Prideaux, Bryan Namoff (Lazo Alavanja 46), Ivan McKinley, Richie Williams, Bobby Convey, Marco Etcheverry, Ali Curtis (Roy Lassiter 46), Eliseo Quintanilla (Ben Olsen 68)
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Convey 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Convey 2); FOULS: 19 (Williams 4, Curtis 4); OFFSIDE: 5; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: Rimando 6; CAUTIONS: McKinley 16, Etcheverry 94; EJECTIONS: none;

CHICAGO-- Zach Thornton, C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin, Carlos Bocanegra, Orlando Perez (Hristo Stoitchkov 79), Billy Walsh (David Vaudreuil 71), Jesse Marsch, Dema Kovalenko, DaMarcus Beasley, Ante Razov, Josh Wolff
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Kovalenko 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (six players with 1); FOULS: 17 (Brown 4, Wolff 4); OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: Thornton 6; CAUTIONS: Curtin 32, Brown 56; EJECTIONS: none;

Referee: Gus St. Silva; Assistant Referees: Nathan Clement, George Vergara
Attendance: 10,444; Weather: Fair, 90 degrees, clear